FEATURE - May 2016 -  Santa Fe 

Interview with La'ne' Sa'an Moonwalker 

By Scott Seldin

 

Scott: Do you remember your first experiences of Spirit?

La'ne': Yes, I do. In the summer of my fifth year, I began having lucid dreams. In the first one, I met this radiant being of infinite depth and Beingness. I experienced an invitation for my life journey. I was shown it would be an arduous one but this Being would be there to help me. At the end, I would have great insight and wisdom. I agreed. Later that summer, I very much wanted to do a vigil. Even though I was only 5, and all the other kids doing the vigil were 7, 8, and 9, my Dad got special permission for me to participate. 

 

The assignment at the vigil was to sit quietly in nature and ask if Spirit would be willing to communicate with us. I remember sitting on a rock with the beautiful sun rising up over rose-colored rocks in the middle of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The very rocks themselves emanated a presence of a Mother Beingness. I experienced the energy of our beloved Earth right below my feet. I felt embraced.  I didn't quite fully get the importance of this vision until later that evening. I was invited to a Council Fire with my father and several of the other elders where we talked about my experience.

 

Without language to express it, I understood that Spirit is infinite. I was so fortunate -- I had adults around me who supported direct communication with That Energy Which Moves All. I understood that not only did I have permission to experience Spirit, I had the ability to do it. I learned to be open and receptive. We must also ask with respect and humility.

 

Scott: What are the most important spiritual lessons you can share?

La'ne': I grew up in a unique household. My father was from Mexico, of Yaqui, Falasha, and Spanish descent; my mother was of Ashkenazi Jewish descent from the east coast of the United States. And because of this multi-cultural, multi-ethnic background, even though I wasn't happy about it at the time, it definitely shaped my understanding that all people have value and meaning; all people have great goodness in them and are also capable of evil acts. We all have the opportunity to choose to act in beneficial ways and be contributing members of our community, be they two-legged, winged, four-legged, or any other type of beingness. This is one of the most important lessons for all of us. The other major lesson is to fall in love with a specific path that you will stick with; we all need sustained discipline and practice. No matter how much we don't like those words, we need that to build a good foundation, so they are necessary.

 

Scott: Why are humans trapped in endless wars and a spiral toward extinction?

La'ne': We are at war with ourselves, which leads to being at war with our friends and family, at war within our communities, at war all over the world, at war with our Earth. We think that we are at peace with each other, but ask any minority, poor person, woman, person of color, Jew, Muslim, or indigenous person in the wrong neighborhood --  any of them will tell you there are dangerous places where you can lose your life. This is equally true for the natural world. We have to practice tolerance and acceptance. Globally, we need to understand that our differences are far less important than what we have in common. We are not different races. We are one race, the human race. We are one family, the human family that is part of the greater family of all that is, whether sentient or not.

 

Scott: What is it about the spiritual  practices and beliefs of indigenous peoples that has made your commitment unwavering?

La'ne':There are certain spiritual systems that allow us to engage directly and be guided by our inner intuition. This is why I am so attracted to indigenous beliefs and practices around the world, not only my own background through my father, but because of the essential piece that is so imperative and built into us as an animal. We are blessed creatures who can connect with That Which Moves and Touches All. It is part of us and we are part of it. We have to drop the belief that it has to go through somebody else. Because we are prone for illusion, delusion, and misinterpretation, we need help. We need guidance from teachers, fellow travelers, Spirit Guides, and of course That From Which All Comes.

 

There was a time when we were all indigenous and connected  with Mother Earth, Father Sun and Grandmother Moon. We do better when we are in alignment with Their rhythms. Some of us are already working in this way. We are of many colors, faiths, and spiritual journeys. The healing has begun. There is a lot more to do.

 

La'ne' Sa'an Moonwalker has become an oracle, healer, spiritual teacher and environmental guardian through her studies and work over the last forty-five years. She is the featured presenter of eight interactive explorations of spirit and creativity. Find out more about her at explorationsofspiritandcreativity.com.

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